


impostor syndrome

by mune_ga_hachikire_sude



Category: Winx Club
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Mystery, Out of Character, do the winx even have characters i feel like it gets retconned all the time, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28010724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mune_ga_hachikire_sude/pseuds/mune_ga_hachikire_sude
Summary: Tecna never gets rescued from the Omega Dimension, and everyone is left to grieve and move on.Until she comes back two years later, seemingly unharmed.Too good to be true, one question is on everyone's mind. Is that really Tecna?
Relationships: Tecna/Timmy (Winx Club), all the other typical pairings too
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> am I the only one genuinely upset about tecna getting nerfed from the live action series lmao. of course it's not the only egregious thing about the series but this is personal. tecna is best girl how dare you, netflix.

Musa stared.

Grief is a funny entity, she thought, wryly. It weighs down on you initially, almost suffocating you, and it’s a struggle that sometimes you wonder if letting it drown you is better than trying to reach the surface. Yet, gradually, slowly but surely, grief becomes forgiving. It shrinks, barely noticeable, and some days you go on without it, but there are other days where it becomes as ruthless as it initially was, and you find yourself drowning in cold and turbulent waves yet again, a part of your heart forever empty, a void no one else could really fill.

It’s one of those days.

She couldn’t breathe.

“Musa?”

The bluenette snapped out of her paralyzed state and came face to face with bright purple eyes, eyebrows furrowed out of concern. Roxy, yes, she remembered. She’s in Love and Pet, hanging out with her friends. Lighthearted banter and laughter. But someone said something that didn’t--never--sat right with her, and Musa guessed she stopped laughing right then and there.

Roxy, the fairy of animals. A young fairy they had rescued from the Wizards of the Black Circle as well as mentored. Being taken under their wings, she was effectively the little sister of the Winx Club. So she necessarily wasn’t wrong about pointing out how she’s the 6th Winx member, and Musa swore she had nothing against the young girl, but--

Wasn’t the Winx already a group of six?

Shouldn’t Roxy be the seventh?

Just because  **_she’s_ ** not here anymore-!

“Did I say something wrong?” The younger fairy asked, worried and flustered, “I’m- I’m sorry. I guess I’m too young to be the sixth member of the Winx, ahah-”

“No,” Musa almost croaked, and cursed herself for it in her mind. “No, no, Roxy, I just-” she heaved, getting herself together.

Flora, god bless her soul, immediately went over to her musical friend to console her, “It’s fine, sweetie. It’s- it’s going to be okay.”

Aisha shifted uncomfortably. She had always disagreed with the girls’ decision to not mention  **_her_ ** name and avoid talking about her as much as possible, completely avoiding the elephant in the room. They treat it as closure, but it isn’t. Aisha would know. She went through it. “Maybe we should tell her.” 

“No,” Bloom said, simply, “we’re not ready.”

Tension rose. “Then when will we be?” Aisha demanded, temper rising. “It’s been two years! Roxy isn’t some little girl. She can handle knowing the fact that we had a previous member of the Winx.”

“An...old member?” Roxy interjected, murmuring.

All eyes were on her, “yeah,” Musa said, keeping her breathing steady, managing to get herself together, “her name was Tecna...she was my best friend.”

“Tecna…” Roxy tried sounding out the name, before looking up, “um...what happened? Did you get into a disagreement, or split ways, or…” suddenly, the wording dawned on her. Was. Was.  **_Was_ ** . “I’m sorry-”

“It’s okay! It’s okay, sweetie, you didn’t know,” Flora said, “We...try not to talk about her too much. It’s still a very sensitive topic for all of us.”

“Oh,” Roxy looked down, guilt eating away at her. “I’m- I’m so sorry for asking about her-”

“Wait, no, hold on, girls,” Stella interjected, for the first time, after some thinking of what Aisha said. “Maybe Aisha’s right. We shouldn’t avoid talking about her. Besides, Tecna deserves to be known, the best technology fairy and friend out there...even if she did get too technical sometimes.”

Stella lightly chuckled. She hadn’t thought of that in a while, how she used to lightheartedly tease Tecna, and while the technological fairy initially didn’t get it, she would eventually play along and banter off with Stella.

She had been too focused in her grief, that she had forgotten the times with her friend that she should always cherish.

Eventually, Aisha joined in, remembering the two seemingly opposite fairies’ lighthearted banters. Then Bloom, and Flora, and finally, Musa cracked a smile, remembering her own scuffles with her roommate and best friend.

Maybe thinking and talking about Tecna isn’t so bad after all.

Eventually, they started sharing their own fond memories of their technological friend, enjoying themselves as they divulged in their own nostalgia.

This, Musa decided, is better than bottling it all in.

-

* * *

-

The thick snow crunched under his boots as Timmy walked through the cold streets of Gardenia. He didn’t know what he was doing here, really. The Winx had finished their mission by rescuing the last fairy on Earth and defeating the Wizards of the Black Circle, so essentially his job had been done and over with. Sure, the Winx had decided to stay in this cozy little planet just a little longer, and by proxy the rest of the Specialists decided to stay with their girlfriends as well, but…

What’s Timmy’s purpose, when she’s not...

He viciously shook his head, snow on his orange hair falling off as he did.

It’s better he didn’t think about it.

It’s better he doesn’t fall into the same rabbit hole he had been in two years ago.

That’s the reason why the guys brought him with them, didn’t they? A distraction. So they can watch over him, to make sure he wouldn’t go over the edge. Not again. Memories of sleepless nights, desperation and grief rendered him unstable and fragile, like glass gradually cracking at even the softest of whispers from the wind.

But...he isn’t that same fragile little glass anymore.

That’s right... 

He’s moving on.

Tecna is gone. Tecna is gone. And he has to accept that. He tried his best and- and it simply isn't enough and he has to accept that as well. 

He looked up, inhaled, and watched as his breath disintegrated into the cold air.

As he did so, someone walked by him, their shoulders brushing just a bit. Timmy immediately tried stammering an apology, yet he was struck by how...how vibrantly  **_magenta_ ** the person’s hair is as strands poked out of their hoodie and he- he felt a sense of nostalgia and grief, feelings he hadn’t felt in a long time, or at least, repressed for so long.

If there’s one...feature he still vividly remembered, as if it was yesterday, it was the color of her hair. How vibrant and unique it looked, how she stood out in the crowd and it perfectly reflected who she was, beautiful, and- and different. Unique. In the most beautiful and amazing way possible.

“Ex- excuse m-”

“Timmy!”

Someone else caught his attention, and he turned away from the fleeting stranger and faced a woman at a distance. With vibrant and short blonde hair and solid blue eyes, she excitedly waved at him.

Distracted, Timmy waved back and approached the woman, quickly forgetting about the other person walking away. “Iris.” He smiled.

Iris smiled back, “Let’s go to Frutti Music Bar?”

“Absolutely.”

-

* * *

-

They hear a knock.

“Someone’s at the door,” Stella said, though unlikely to get up and get it herself.

“I’ll get it,” Roxy got up, straightening her clothing as she walked to the door. To be honest, she had been a bit overwhelmed at learning about this... old member of the group she had grown so close with, and her mind flew with what-if’s and other such questions. The Winx did try to answer many of them, such that they met during their first year in Alfea, that Tecna had sacrificed herself and doomed herself to the Omega Dimension, never to be seen again, and that the lanky Specialist with thick red glasses, Timmy had been her boyfriend.

But the more questions they answered, many other questions branched out in several directions. Is Tecna really dead? The Winx seem split on this issue, and it’s a particularly sensitive topic, so Roxy avoided it.

Another question in mind was...what was this Tecna person like, Roxy wondered. What would Tecna be like, had she survived her sacrifice, and accompanied the Winx?

Roxy definitely would’ve wanted to meet Tecna, even just once, though that seemed impossible now.

She finally got to the door and opened it, only to be greeted by a woman in a purple coat, her hood covering her hair and face, rendering her unrecognizable. Though Roxy didn’t think she ever met this person anyway. “Hello, Love and Pet is currently closed, I’m so-”

The woman held a hand up. “Oh, I’m not here for that,” finally, the woman took off her hood, revealing short vibrant magenta hair, in a pixie cut that had grown a bit longer, as well as bright teal eyes with seemingly endless knowledge behind it. “I simply wish to inquire...if the Winx is available?”

That caught Roxy off guard. “Oh, yes, who...are you?”

The woman merely smiled, “My name is Tecna.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> help girl i'm procrastinating on my writing

"Are you sure about this, mainframe?"

He doesn't look up when a friend—Riven, surprisingly—walked into his room and sat down on his desk chair, watching him do his business. Timmy doesn't look up either when the Specialist asked him the question, mild concern coated in his words, as he simply continued folding his clothing and putting them in his suitcase.

"Our mission is complete, isn't it?" He asked, pushing his glasses up to prevent it from falling off. "There's no point staying here, not anymore."

"But we're here," Sky spoke up. Timmy looked up, and the rest of the Specialists had already walked in his room. "Timmy, we're here, aren't we?"

"Yes…" Timmy conceded, sighing, "but you're staying here for a reason, you're staying here because…"

_you still have someone to stay for._

The guys looked at each other, concerned. Timmy didn't need to say anything further, they understood fully.

"Tim…" Brandon sighed.

"I'll be fine," Timmy said, a little too quickly. He had found himself saying that too often now, ever since that day, that it came out more of instinct than anything voluntary. He was tired of people constantly asking him if he's okay, so he had resorted to telling everyone he's fine. Even if...he hasn't been fine. Not for a while. Not really. "I'll be fine, really. I got a job offer at Zenith. It– it pays well, and I can see myself enjoying it. Maybe once in a while I'll visit you guys, or maybe you can visit me. It's been a while since we went to Zenith, haven't we? Not since–"

His words abruptly died down into a quiet whimper as the memory dawned on him.

Oh, right.

Zenith had been her home, wasn't it?

They had hailed her as a hero.

Even built her a monument.

Invited him and her friends for its grand opening.

The intricate details of her face and hair and clothing and wings and...everything on a steel statue that glowed and flashed her signature colors.

Her smile.

It was so uncannily similar, he remembered he had wanted to puke then and there.

It was a memorial, they say. A memorial for a hero.

But for her friends, for _him_ , it was just a symbol of what they've lost.

A bitter reminder of what he couldn't protect. What he couldn't save—

"Hey, hey, Timmy, it'll be alright." Timmy hadn't noticed the hands firmly gripping his shoulders. Helia. It had been his best friend Helia, worried deeply etched over his usually soft expression, brows furrowed as he stared intently at him. "It wasn't your fault."

"I know," Timmy let go of the breath he had been holding in for far too long, and his shoulders softened after it had been tensed. "I know. I know. I know. Stop- stop doing that. Stop telling me it's alright when it isn't. Stop telling me it isn't my fault when I _feel_ like it anyway!"

Sky felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Excusing himself, he left the room.

They weren't really sure what to say after that outburst. Timmy was right, after all. Nothing they could say, how many times they would say it, would make anything better. All they can do is help pick up the pieces, and hope the massive hole fills itself up somehow.

Which could be…

"How about that woman you've been seeing, Timmy?" Brandon questioned, recalling the new friend Timmy had made while on earth, "...Iris, was it? Isn't she enough to make you stay?"

Timmy paused, and frowned, "She's," he started, hesitantly, "just a friend," simple as that.

And he isn't lying. Iris had made it clear when they were starting to become friends that they will stay as such. She stated no reason, as the somewhat vague and mysterious person she usually is, however Timmy still both respected and was quite relieved with her assertion. It's quite too soon to start seeing someone again, just when wounds are barely starting to heal, and just as he respected her decision, she also respected his boundaries.

"Just a friend, really," Riven repeated, mockingly, "or are you just a coward, running away from any prospect of a relationship because you're scared of losing anyone again?"

Timmy pushed his glasses up. "That's not true."

"Riven," Helia warned.

"Admit it," Riven did not listen and approached the lanky Specialist, "you're just a massive coward running away from everything, tail between-"

Pain.

Riven felt pain spread across his cheeks down to his jawline as a fist had landed contact with his jaw. He stumbled backwards, barely being caught by Helia as Brandon jumped in between them before either could throw a punch.

He growled. "Why you-"

"Guys," Sky returned after the phone call, his face was mostly unreadable, an uncharacteristic mix of disbelief and shock and everything in between. "Guys, we need to- we need to see the girls. They need us."

Tension quickly melted away as soon as Sky spoke those words, replaced with concern and urgency. Questions of "why?" and "what happened?" and all those along the lines were spoken up and Sky...wasn't exactly sure how to phrase it. It felt surreal, like from a distant and impossible dream they've woken from and abandoned long ago, yet here it was, and none were sure how to react.

Riven got himself off of Helia and wiped his cheek, relieving it of pain as he took out his phone, just to see what his girlfriend had to say, if something really did happen. Seeing the first notification on his phone immediately made him spring up. "Sky isn't bullshitting. Let's go."

One by one, the rest of the Specialists looked into their phones. Looking at each other with urgent looks, they nod and begin to leave.

Well, except Timmy.

He didn't really have anyone to inform him of what's going on, did he?

Shifting uncomfortably, he rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose I'll stay-"

"No," Riven cut off, sternly, grabbing Timmy's wrist, making sure he didn't wander away like some toddler. "you're coming with us. Come on! Also-" he hesitated as they ran outside their building, and quietly, he murmured, "sorry about egging you on earlier."

Timmy blinked, confused at the sudden shift in attitude. Was the girls' situation so urgent, so dire that the guys needed Timmy to go with them? And for Riven, of all people, to apologize?

Odd.

"It's...it's okay," stammered Timmy, "sorry for punching you."

"It's whatever," Riven shrugged, and briefly, he looked back at him, and in at that brief moment…

Timmy could've sworn Riven looked at him with pity.

* * *

As soon as the car barely skidded into a stop in front of the Love & Pet shop, the guys wasted no time and immediately jumped out and walked into the shop. Timmy, meanwhile, took his time quite a bit, not really understanding the gravity of the situation, and…

Perhaps it's petty and pathetic of him to feel this way, but he didn't feel the best whenever the guys reunited with their girlfriends.

He felt out of place. A puzzle piece without another piece to attach to.

Incomplete, worthless, and useless.

By the time Timmy was in front of the shop door, the guys had already run inside themselves. He took a deep breath, then another, and another before turning the door handle and walking inside.

The guys refused to tell him what was going on, just that they needed him and he absolutely should come, and by their collective faces of both concern, shock, and relief, he wasn't exactly sure what he should be expecting.

Should he be nervous? Oh, who is he kidding. He's already a nervous wreck.

Hushed and harsh whispers filled the shop as soon as Timmy walked in and there he saw the group huddled together, much to his confusion.

"How are you-"

"What the fuck?!"

"What should we tell Tim-"

"Where even is HE?"

"We brought him with us like you said!" Riven whispered harshly to his girlfriend.

"How do we even bring it up to him.." whispered Flora, a bit gently as Helia couldn't help but agree.

Awkwardly, Timmy coughed to get their attention, and immediately, all eyes went to him and both the girls and the guys broke up their huddle. "I'm here?"

"Timmy!" clapped Bloom, a bit forcefully with her equally forced smile, in a vain attempt to melt the tension that had seemingly frozen everyone in the shop. The cons of being the Fairy of the Dragon Flame, however, is that she couldn't melt just anything even if she wanted to. "Timmy, we're so glad that you're here!"

"Thanks?" Timmy raised a brow. Okay, this is getting weird, he thought, the girls never usually put this much focus on him before. "Um, why am I needed here, exactly?" They probably needed them to fix their shop computer again, or the register, is his usual assumption, but would they really make this big of a deal out of it?

"Um, well," Bloom started twirling a lock of her hair, a nervous tick, "I don't know how to tell you this…"

"Someone wants to see you, Tim," Musa covered, shrugging, though from a closer glance it would seem she's barely holding herself together too, from the shake of her voice to her averting eyes.

"Who?" They're stalling, Timmy realized. Not quite getting to the point, perhaps out of nervousness, and although Timmy wouldn't consider himself impatient by any means, he was starting to get antsy.

"Well…"

"Can you stop hiding me and let me see him already?"

A voice spoke up, and everyone in the room immediately tensed up. Timmy...well, he blinked once, twice, then thrice, confused and...stunned. The voice was a punch in the gut, something he craved hearing for the longest time, yet it was also drenched in unfamiliarity, like a distant dream from several lives ago.

Someone had pushed herself past two Specialists that had hidden her, and Timmy's breath, at that moment, hitched.

It was unmistakable.

Magenta hair, those breathtaking turquoise eyes.

That smile.

He froze.

"Timmy," she said, "it's been a long time, hasn't it- Timmy?"

His eyes rolled into the back of his head and the last thing he saw before everything going to black, was her hand reaching out to him.

* * *

Timmy woke up with a jolt. Sitting up, he groaned, putting a hand on his head and realizing he didn't have his glasses worn.

"Oh, you're awake. Here's your glasses," offered someone, though his mood and mind were far too groggy to recognize nor process who it belonged to. He murmured a thank you and put it on, blinking a few times, realizing he had woken up on some couch, a thin blanket put over him.

When did he fall asleep on a couch?

"Water?" The person offered and immediately a glass of water was within his vision. Without thinking much of the person, again, he took it.

"Thank you…" Timmy decided to turn to whoever had stood by him while he had his nap…

Wait.

_**Why**_ did he take a nap?

Timmy started wracking his head on what events led to this. He remembered going to Love & Pet with the guys because of something urgent. He remembered the girls and the guys' hushed whispers and Bloom informing him of something. He remembered…

He remembered seeing her.

That can't be right.

That can't be true.

Absolutely 0% chance!

It was probably a dream-

"Timmy?"

He had been too busy trying to figure out what had happened that he failed to notice the person next to him. Slowly, he turned to that person, and his breath, the second time that day, hitched and froze. "You- you're….you're…?!"

Tecna merely smiled, "Can't say I'm entirely surprised by your reaction, but please, don't faint on me again, silly." She poked his nose playfully, like she used to, seemingly long ago, and it gave Timmy the wakeup call that she's here, like...physically here. Right here. She's here with him. Right here…

No matter how hard Timmy tried to wrap that thought around his head, he still found it impossible.

Too good to be true.

"Is that...really you?" Was what he managed to choke up, despite questions after questions that keep branching out in his mind, almost overwhelming even his intelligent and complex thought process.

Tecna merely nodded in affirmation. "I can...see why you and, well, everyone would be at a disbelief, however, yes, I'm me, the last time I checked."

"But...how?"

This time, it took a bit for Tecna to answer, as she looked out the window, a bit solemnly, "As much as I don't wish to give such a lackluster answer, I don't know, exactly," she answered truthfully, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "From what my parents summarized for me, it seems they've found me and gotten me out of the Omega Dimension. However I was in too bad of a shape that they weren't sure whether I'd survive, so they kept the information from the public, especially you guys, as to not get anyone's hopes up and focus on keeping me alive and helping me recover, with some help from top doctors Zenith could offer, of course."

"I- I see," Timmy didn't know what to say, after all of that, despite many questions branching after one another in his mind. "How did you- how did you even survive? After this long?"

"That's- what I'm unable to answer, as much as I want to find out myself," Tecna admitted, "My situation had apparently been so dire that it was protocol for doctors to wipe such memories. To prevent trauma, I've been informed."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

An awkward silence followed after, yet...it's very reminiscent of back then, he thought, weren't they both awkward kids back then, barely able to hold hands and talk without being as red as tomatoes? Two kids in love, yet were both so new to this they didn't know what to do.

But it's different now. They weren't kids, not anymore, not really.

"I- sorry, I don't know what to say-"

"It's okay, Timmy, it's fine," Tecna said, both hands on his shoulders, "I'm aware...this is a lot to take in...and that's okay. But I'm here now, and that's what matters, doesn't it?"

Timmy relaxed his shoulders, almost melting at her touch, "I- yeah, yeah, I suppose…" He looked up, looking at her face, for the first time, and he smiled at her, a feeling of relief and happiness and those in between. "Welcome back, Tecna."

She easily returned the smile, and embraced her old- or is it still-boyfriend? Neither of them knew what would become of them for now, but surely they'll figure it out some time, but for now, they're simply content to be in each other's presence.

After a while, they let go of each other, Timmy cheeks dusted a light pink, "So...what now?"

"Well, everyone else went to the Frutti Music Bar- I recall that's what it's called?- while you were unconscious. So, say, do you know the directions for it?"

Of course they'd leave him unconscious and alone with her while they enjoyed their smoothies and music. Of course, he thought wryly.

"Of course, Tec, let's go."


End file.
